Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria, Vol. 11

by Fujino Omori

  “Back then, he was always on edge. At any point, I could expect him to shout, ‘The latent evil aura in my right fist will obliterate you assholes!’ Yeah, it was super painful to watch.”

  “Could I ask you not to say things that will ruin my reputation? …Really. I mean it…” Closing his eyes, Dionysus chuckled slightly as he ran his hand through his hair—but said hand was trembling.

  What the hell happened between them?

  ““Lord Dionysuuuuuus! Come here!”” some of the children called out eagerly.

  “Oh my…Excuse me,” Dionysus said to the two goddesses before happily heading over toward the kids without a twinge of sorrow. In order to fulfill her job as his guard, Filvis went with him.

  “…Huh, seems Dionysus is respected.”

  “Yeah. There should be a limit to surprise.”

  In contrast to Loki shrugging, Hestia looked intently at the god.

  “It seems like Dionysus has gotten over his ‘illness.’”

  That’s what she said.

  “…Illness?”

  In that instant, Loki creaked to a halt before slowly rotating her head toward Hestia, who was neither scowling nor smiling. There were no signs that Hestia was pulling her leg as she watched over the god.

  “…What do you mean by that, shrimp? What are you talking about?”

  Hestia turned back around at the question. The smaller goddess arched her brow dubiously as she met Loki’s gaze. “Aren’t you hanging out with him because you’re one and the same, Loki?”

  “The same…? Me? Similar to him ?”

  “I thought you made an odd combo at first, but that would explain it.”

  “Hey! Wait just one minute. What are you actually trying to say?”

  At that moment, Loki realized that she was perplexed, noticing a strange uneasiness rising up in her chest.

  What are you talking about? That Dionysus and I are the same? That we have things in common? The part where we both manipulate people? That we both like to drink? What are you trying to say, Hestia? She struggled and stammered as she tried to put it all together, questioning the goddess in front of her.

  “You both seriously got into it with other gods.”

  “!!”

  “That’s why I said you’re similar. You got into some serious knock-down, drag-out fights with other gods, too. Didn’t you, Loki?” Hestia looked at her with a piercing glare.

  But Loki was not in a state of mind to be bothered by her pointed gaze. Sure, she’d gotten into a handful of murderous scuffles with other gods and goddesses in the heavens. In fact, she’d been so brutal and unprecedentedly destructive that those who knew her only once she’d mellowed out after coming down to the mortal realm and getting a familia could not begin to picture it. She had been so troublesome that she’d earned herself the stupid nickname “the ultimate trickster in all the heavens.”

  Loki was amazed. She had never heard anything like that about Dionysus before, which was also the case for Lefiya, who was listening beside her.

  “…Do you remember any of the people involved?”

  “I guess I’d say everyone? Back then, Dionysus had a really bad temper, and he’d blow up at anyone who happened to be around. It’s like his usual serene disposition is a complete facade.”

  “…”

  “Buuut if I had to name a certain person, then it’d probably be Zeus…and outside the Twelve Gods, maybe Ouranos?” Hestia continued without taking notice of Loki’s silence as she tapped her slender finger on her chin.

  Ouranos again, huh…?

  Dionysus had been suspicious of the Guild even before they’d started working together. Or more to the point, he had been suspicious of Ouranos, who stood behind the scenes of the Guild. Until the situation with the Xenos came to light, he had been adamant in his distrust.

  What happened between the two of them up there to make him that mad at the old man?

  “Why was Dionysus picking a fight with Ouranos?”

  “That’s why I said it’s an illness. Though maybe calling it a spasm would be better. I told you Dionysus was touchy way back, didn’t I?”

  “…”

  “When he got into it with Ouranos and the others, it was always over small things. Dionysus was constantly harping on them one-sidedly. Well, if you want to know exactly what triggered his fits and outbursts, you’d probably have to ask the actual people involved.

  “It’s not like I know their personal relations,” Hestia added casually. At the same time, the little goddess who was the protector of those who prayed for aid looked a little bit sad, as if she was remembering the precarious situation.

  In reality, there was a significant number of gods and goddesses who had festered in boredom up in the heavens, which cleared up when they came down to the mortal realm. Loki was one of them herself. However, Dionysus had not given off even the slightest hint that he was, too, in all the time she had dealt with him. In fact, she was struggling to imagine it.

  “…What did you feel when you saw Dionysus back then?” Loki switched subjects.

  How had he seemed at the time to someone from the same homeland? To someone who had seen him up close?

  “Hmm…I thought he was scary, I think.”

  And again, Loki was blown away—to hear Hestia say he was scary.

  That slacker was popular in her own weird way: The most famous one from her network is Hephaistos, known for being stubborn up there. And Penia, too. And even that crazy, psycho, hyper-ultra-hysterical Hera. There were lots of gods and goddesses who made fun of her for being a kiddie goddess, too, but she has some weird connections with a ton of people.

  For better or for worse, Hestia was fair: She didn’t discriminate or set people apart from one another. Though she got plenty mad at Loki, who picked fights with her or made fun of her, she held real authority, too. Loki suspected Ouranos and even Zeus acknowledged her. She was plain, but her status as a goddess, the one who ruled over the immortal flame, was undeniably high.

  And for that Hestia to say Dionysus was scary…

  “That’s why when they started brawling over the seat among the Twelve Gods, I said I’d step down if they were really gonna fight. I don’t like to be in tense situations.”

  At the time, Hestia had hopped down from her chair, chirping, “Be sure to play nice!” before booking it out of the temple of the Twelve Gods. Loki could totally imagine it happening, which made her weak. But because Hestia had given up her seat, Dionysus’s illness had not developed into anything serious.

  “Well, no one else seemed to notice it. Maybe I was imagining things,” Hestia concluded, looking up and glancing forward. She saw Dionysus surrounded by a ring of children wearing smiles. “But if this is the situation, then I guess there’s nothing to worry about now. That’s good.”

  Standing next to her, Loki did not respond, about to press Hestia for more information.

  “Hey, Itty-Bitty, tell me more—”

  “Wait! Look at the time! I’m going to be late for my part-time job!” Hestia shrieked and dashed away, suddenly remembering her current predicament.

  “Saying what you want and running away…”

  Without enough time to stop her, Loki gradually lowered her outstretched hand as Hestia’s small form trailed away. Left behind, Loki looked back at Dionysus, as did Lefiya, who was flustered. The aristocratic god seemed composed and almost loving as he played with the children.

  The sun was just beginning to lean toward the west around noon.

  The main street in the city was jam-packed with people. It seemed there were more throngs of demi-humans of all kinds coming and going than usual. As if to prove the point, people from the slum grouped together to finish shopping for the minimal supplies they could afford.

  The scene of Daedalus Street becoming a battlefield with the appearance of armed monsters was still fresh in their minds. While the Guild, Ganesha Familia , and Loki Familia were continuing the reconstruction work, the residents o
f the Labyrinth District had been given temporary housing elsewhere until repairs were finished. They had been evicted from the slums and carried on with their lives on the main streets.

  That said, it wasn’t as though the residents of Daedalus Street, much less the people ambling around its road, had faces cast with bitter or sad expressions. They were relieved that the threat of monsters aboveground had disappeared, restoring some semblance of peace in their lives.

  Yes, everyone was enjoying peace. No one had noticed the true menace, the countdown to the city’s destruction, that was slowly ticking.

  “To think Lord Dionysus was so unstable when he was in the heavens…” Lefiya whispered, glancing out at the street filled with smiles but not really processing any of them.

  Beneath a large magic-stone streetlight, the fragmentary thought passed her lips and melted into the background noise. Recalling Hestia’s comments, she started to wonder, Does Miss Filvis know about that story…?

  “Sorry, Lefiya. Did I keep you waiting?”

  “Ah…Miss Filvis!”

  The elf in question weaved her way through the crowd before appearing in front of Lefiya.

  “…? What? Something happen?”

  “Ah! No, it’s nothing.” Lefiya flashed her a bitter smile, instead of offering a proper explanation, as the incident with Dionysus crossed her mind.

  She suspected that would be a taboo topic to approach with Filvis, a devotee, and knew that a noble elf would still keep supporting her patron god—regardless of his sordid past.

  “I’m so sorry for asking for time out of your busy schedule…”

  “No, I wanted to talk with you, too. Before the start of the Knossos operation,” Filvis added in a lowered voice.

  They started to move away from the lamppost where they had met up. After their gods had dismissed their meeting and Loki had returned to the manor, Lefiya had been relieved of her duty as guard. She had been waiting until now for Filvis to finish getting Dionysus back to their home.

  Though she’d been the one to invite Filvis, Lefiya didn’t have any reason in particular to ask her out. But things had been so hectic lately that they hadn’t had many opportunities to talk. What she really wanted was to have an unhurried conversation with Filvis for the first time in a while.

  She suggested going to some café, but Filvis shook her head and took Lefiya along with her instead, slipping out of the streets and reaching a high point where they could overlook the cityscape. With no one around, there was no concern that someone might overhear their conversation.

  “It seems it was just decided that the other familia members…that the entirety of Dionysus Familia will be taking part in the operation.”

  “Is that…so?…I suppose that would be the case.” Lefiya nodded deeply as Filvis gazed out over the city.

  This time, the operation was going to need manpower. Even though their combat capabilities did not begin to compare to Loki Familia ’s, it was inevitable that Dionysus Familia would take part, based on numbers alone. It would not just be Filvis by herself as it had been in the past. Dionysus was serious about this, too.

  “Lefiya…are you going to join this operation?”

  “…? Yes, of course.”

  Filvis had her back to her fellow elf as Lefiya furrowed her brow.

  She was feeling a keen sense of déjà vu. Almost four months ago, she had been asked the same thing when she was doing her special training before the expedition. That was when Filvis had taught her Dio Grail. And now—

  “—Lefiya, won’t you leave Orario?” she suggested.

  “Wha…?”

  “Until this operation is over, go someplace outside the city—some far-off town, or even an elven village would be fine. If you don’t want to go alone, then I’ll join you. I’d rather not remove myself from protecting Lord Dionysus, but I can leave it to the others, including Aura, who are taking part in the operation. And it shouldn’t be a very serious blow to Loki Familia if you’re missing—”

  “W-wait! Please wait a minute, Miss Filvis!” Lefiya had raised her voice to a ragged shout without realizing it.

  She leaned forward toward Filvis, who had been speaking without facing her the whole time.

  “Why are you saying this out of nowhere?! I might not have that much value to contribute, but I could never cowardly run away before the decisive battle! I’m an elf, a noble race, after all!” she yammered on, confused by the sudden proposal and beginning to question Filvis’s real motives.

  Filvis fell silent. After a short pause, she turned around.

  “You…are going to die.”

  “What…?”

  “The most recent attack made that perfectly clear.” With a critical, pointed gaze, she looked at Lefiya in total seriousness.

  “Wh-what?” she stammered, sweat beading on her brow. Filvis’s comment started to ring like a bell.

  During her first expedition to Knossos, Lefiya had been exceedingly rash. In fact, she’d been so careless that Filvis, who had gone with her, had scolded her loudly. And after that, she had encountered Thanatos, the patron god of the enemy; found herself surrounded; and then faced off against Gugalanna, a bull-type demi-spirit. To put it bluntly, it would not have been at all strange for her to have been killed. Filvis was holding a grudge over what had happened then. Or perhaps she was nervous about what it portended.

  “You neglect your needs and are keen on sacrificing yourself.”

  “Th-that’s not—”

  “No, I know. You’ll definitely…end up falling into despair,” Filvis revealed, stating her true feelings.

  Lefiya could hear an undertone of pleading, of desperation, in her voice.

  “For the first time since that day…I was scared of losing something. I’d thought I would only ever have an attachment to Lord Dionysus…but I’m terrified…of losing you.”

  Lefiya understood “that day” to mean the Twenty-Seventh-Floor Nightmare.

  Filvis had been scorned with the taboo name of Banshee, which had frozen over her heart. Had she really become so attached to her?

  “Please, Lefiya…Could you listen to my wish?”

  It made Lefiya unimaginably happy—indescribably joyous. Facing Filvis’s earnest gaze, she looked down for a second.

  But she raised her head with an unshakable resolve.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Filvis.”

  “…”

  “I will not run away.”

  Filvis’s scarlet eyes narrowed in sadness. Feeling her heart ache, Lefiya forcefully opened her own eyes.

  “Besides…that human managed to become a Level Four!”

  “Huh…?”

  “Bell Cranell! Bell Cranell!! He got a new title, confirmed for an expedition mission! They’re even saying laughable things about him—like how he’s the adventurers’ rising star! But he’s no such thing! He’s more…more…! You’ve heard the rumors, right?!”

  “Ah, yes…”

  “I’m not angry about it, obviously! If I asked Loki, I’m sure I could rank up to Level Four, too! It’s not like I’ve been surpassed by him! Though he did catch up to me…! B-but the real fight starts now!”

  “L-Lefiya…?”

  “Yes! That’s why I can’t run away! That human didn’t run away, even faced with that black minotaur! It was so heated, so intense, so sublime that it was like a fire burning inside me! E-even I could do that…! Or are you saying you don’t think I can accomplish the same feat as that human?!”

  “I—I didn’t say that.”

  “If I try! I can do it! I’ll show you!” she howled, squeezing her eyes shut, clenching her fists as her face turned bright red.

  Partway through, her anger or regret or something flared up within her, and there was no stopping her. But those were her honest thoughts.

  Filvis watched her fellow elf seething with indignation as she renewed her resolve. As the one who had made the request in the first place, she started to break out in a cold sweat.

&nbs
p; “…That’s why.” Finally, Lefiya’s heated emotions cooled down as she met Filvis’s scarlet eyes. “I will support the others, like Miss Aiz. I will face fear and despair…and I will save them.”

  That was her pride as a magic user. She wanted to become the sword and shield to save the adventurers who protected her. What Riveria and Aiz had taught her became Lefiya’s vow.

  She refused Filvis’s desire. The shy mage was nowhere to be found anymore. Just like a certain boy, the girl had grown strong.

  A breeze passed by them, causing one’s silken, raven-colored hair and one’s golden-yellow locks to ripple and wave. Time passed atop the high point far from the bustle of the city. After a little while, Filvis smiled.

  “You’re seriously a selfish, stubborn…noble elf.”

  “Ah…”

  It was as if she had already known what Lefiya’s response would be. It was pure and, at the same time, empty.

  “Then I will protect you. I won’t let you die—even if it’s only you.”

  “Miss Filvis…”

  “Even at the cost of my own life.”

  It was an exchange like one they’d had before. As Lefiya had come to her own conclusion, Filvis had made a vow. Lefiya was about to add that she would rather Filvis not say something with an ominous tone, but she stopped herself. She recognized in those scarlet eyes a determination that would not back down. Just like her own.

  Which was why Lefiya relaxed her face and smiled.

  “Let’s win. In this battle. And come back together…the two of us.”

  “…Yes. Let’s do our best to make it happen,” Filvis replied in her usual manner, causing them to exchange smiles.

  Beneath the blue sky, they started to walk away. Leaving behind the place where they had expressed their resolves, they moved forward.

  “But…going outside the city. That might be nice.”

  “What?”

  Walking together, Lefiya had suddenly spoken. She smiled at Filvis, who seemed surprised by her comment.

  “We’ve been fighting ever since I first got to know you. After this fight is over, why don’t we go on a trip? Just the two of us?”

  “Lefiya…”